Travels and Travails
by BettyHT
Summary: Adam and Angela travel to Arizona to see her family and must face problems that emerge because of her past, and some new problems.
1. Chapter 1

**Travels and Travails**

**Chapter 1**

Horses would have been preferable to a stagecoach for travel from the Ponderosa to Seligman, Arizona, to visit Angela's family, but with Angela pregnant, Adam refused to allow her to ride a horse for any reason. Even though she insisted that lots of women in her condition had done that many times, Adam said his wife would not. It was one point on which he wouldn't budge so she had to acquiesce especially when his father and brothers were all being just as overprotective as he was.

"Listen, I wasn't the one who was almost killed. I have survived all sorts of difficulties with no ill effects. None of you have to treat me like a fragile bird." Angela was getting a little snappish with the attention she was getting from the Cartwright men. She knew Adam would be that way and was willing to tolerate it from him, but when his father and brothers tried to help her with every little thing, it got irritating.

"Now, little Sis, Adam would never forgive himself if anything happened to you or that baby, and he would never forgive us if we let anything happen to either of you, so you just sit there, and Joe and me will get your luggage all taken care of."

So as Adam paid for the tickets in the stage depot, Angela sat in the carriage and waited, fuming, for Adam to return. He saw the look on her face when he got outside and immediately went to her and whispered.

"They're only trying to help. They love you like a sister already. Now in just an hour, it will just be me fussing over you, so could you be gracious until then?"

Looking into those hazel eyes and listening to that rich baritone voice, Angela melted like she always did. She nodded, smiled, and kissed Adam lightly on the lips. "I'll be nice." She got his smile in gratitude and that made her smile more.

Hoss stood to the side wishing he could find a gal like that who would look at him like that and kiss him like that. Once he had the luggage tossed up to the top of the stage, he slapped Adam on the back and wished him a safe journey. Giving Angela a quick hug, he said he and Joe ought to get back home.

"We gotta do all your chores and your work again. First you get hurt and then you take a vacation. We'll be sure to save up some hard work for when you get back so you don't get all fat and weak from lack of exercise."

Joe laughed as Adam shook his head. Wishing his brother well, Joe gave Angela a quick kiss on the cheek before he mounted up and rode toward home with Hoss in the carriage following behind.

Adam told Angela they should stay seated outside the stage depot as long as possible because they would be in that coach for most of the next three days. Although it would have been preferable to spend some nights in hotels along the way, Adam was worried that someone who recognized Angela might accost her so they were going to stick with the stage schedule and travel as rapidly as they could. Then Adam groaned when three people walked into the stage depot. The stage would be full now with no room to stretch out his legs. Once those three had their luggage on board, the stage pulled out even though it wasn't scheduled to leave for another half hour. There were six passengers so there was no more room for anyone or any packages that weren't already stashed aboard.

As the stagecoach left town, the passengers introduced themselves. There was an itinerant minister and his wife, a traveling salesman, and a rancher returning home from a trip to Reno. At least everyone had bathed recently so there wasn't the rank odor that sometimes assaulted one's nostrils in this type of situation. Nevertheless, it was warm enough and after a few days, Adam knew it would be unpleasant if all the passengers continued on. The minister's wife was happy to have another female traveling and just had to ask questions.

"Well, how long have you two been married?"

"Two weeks."

"Almost two months."

All of the passengers were surprised by the answers supplied by Adam and Angela.

"We were married almost two months ago but he had an accident in the mines because of the earthquake and doesn't remember. So we renewed our wedding vows two weeks ago. That's the wedding he remembers."

Uncomfortable with Angela sharing so much with strangers, Adam's hand on her arm had not been enough to stop her. Now Adam waited for the inevitable follow-up questions. And they came quickly. Before Angela could respond, he answered.

"I was in a mine and the shoring collapsed on me. I was injured including a head injury that affected my memory. I remember everything except the month before the injury. Now I think that's enough about me."

Adam's tone of voice and clipped delivery ended the inquisition quickly. It was clear he didn't want to be the topic of conversation. The salesman jumped right in then with tales of his travels and promotions of the items he was trying to sell to mercantile stores. Angela became interested when he started talking about bib pins, and asked him what they were. He pulled one from his pocked that was secured through small scraps of wool and cotton cloth.

"This is an invention that is near and dear to the hearts of mothers and infants everywhere. It is a pin to hold diapers and other clothing pieces on a child without the danger of straight pins or the discomfort of tying items to the child."

Handling the pin almost with reverence, Angela looked at Adam. "Adam, we should get some of these." As soon as she said it, Adam knew what the next topic of conversation would be, and he was not disappointed.

"Oh, my, the two of you are having a baby already?" Many of those in polite circles thought it was immodest or even downright decadent for a woman to be with child so soon after a marriage especially as it hinted at the possibility that there had been intimacies even before the marriage ceremony. At the woman's tone, Angela was embarrassed and could only nod yes.

"It's going to be a long ride, Angela, so perhaps you should close your eyes and try to get a little rest." Adam pulled her hand through his arm tugging her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes grateful that he had extricated her from the conversation. Then Adam tipped his hat down over his eyes and acted like he wanted to sleep as well. They stayed that way for almost four hours until they reached the first way station.

The road through this section was mostly level or downhill, so the horses didn't need to be replaced so quickly. There would be two stops in the afternoon for new teams. The last push would take them until darkness fell. The next morning, that team would be rested and take them on the next leg of the journey. As they reached the last station for the day, Angela asked where the necessary was. The station manager pointed back behind the station, and she began to walk that way. Adam carried their bags inside as did the other passengers, but he noticed the rancher wasn't in the station with them. He had a sudden fear for he had seen how the man had looked at Angela when he thought no one was watching.

Behind the station, the rancher had Angela pressed up against the wall of the building with his hand over her mouth and his body pressing into hers.

"I remember you. You were real talented. Now you're gonna do a little something for me and I won't describe to your husband what you did with me."

The rancher didn't get to go any further with his comments or his groping because he was suddenly and violently jerked away from Angela. Adam hit him in the face and then in the abdomen doubling him over before Adam hit him again which knocked him to the ground.

"If you ever touch my wife again, I'll kill you!"

Adam was going to kick the man when the minister and the driver restrained him.

"That's enough. We heard enough to know he had it coming, but you can't kill him. Now take your wife and go inside. We'll take care of this." The station manager stood between Adam and the rancher still on the ground.

Breathing hard, Adam stalked to Angela. "Are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

"No." At Adam's look, Angela had to admit, he did hurt her a little. "Please just take me away from him. Let's go inside.

A short time later, the other men came inside. "He's locked up in the tack room in the stable. We'll bring him some grub and a blanket. He can stay there until your stage leaves in the morning. He'll be here then until another stage comes through."

"When will that be?" Adam was concerned at the possibility of the man following them to exact revenge.

"The next regularly scheduled stage is Wednesday. He'll be two days behind you. You can take your wife in that first bedroom there. I'll bring ya plates of grub in just a few minutes."

Saying very little to each other, Adam and Angela ate their meal and Adam returned the plates to the manager. He sat on the bed then leaning back against the headboard. Angela looked at him and worried because he hadn't touched her since he had taken her arm to lead her back inside.

"You're thinking that this is how it's going to be. Men will recognize me and expect favors and you'll have to fight them or even kill someone."

There was no answer Adam could give to that because that was exactly one of the things he was thinking. He also worried about his wife's safety and the safety of their baby. The coach ride was difficult enough, but if she was accosted that way by a man again, there could be more serious consequences than bruised lips. He didn't know what to say so he said nothing, and that was absolutely the worst thing he could probably have done. He was afraid that a hug could cause her pain for he knew she must have bruises. He shut her out because he didn't want to hurt her and by doing so, he hurt her immensely.

"I'm tired. I think I'll try to sleep now." Angela lay down on her side with her back to Adam. She hoped he would lay beside her and wrap his arms around her so they could spoon as he liked to do. She was so disappointed when he turned down the lamp and lay beside her without touching her. He didn't want to hurt her by grabbing her and putting pressure on her bruises, but she was emotionally wounded by his lack of physical contact.

In the morning, Adam and Angela cleaned up, had breakfast, and walked to the stage saying only what needed to be said to accomplish their tasks. It was a quiet ride. As they neared Beatty, Angela pulled a wide bonnet from her purse and tied it on covering her face enough that no one would recognize her. It would be the only night they would spend in a hotel as they traveled. Adam ordered a bath for their room.

"You go first. You must be exhausted after these last few days."

Just nodding, Angela began to undress. It was the first time she could get out of these dusty clothes since they had left Virginia City. Adam sat on the bed wearing just his trousers and his shirt unbuttoned and pulled from his pants and watched as Angela slipped off her petticoats, chemise, and pantaloons. His heart was pained as he saw all the bruises she had. It was much worse than he had surmised. That rancher must have thrown her up against that building with a lot of force. Angela slipped into the water, and then Adam saw her shoulders shaking. Quickly, he slipped off the bed and was on his knees next to the tub.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Oh please, what can I do?"

Feeling only slightly better to have Adam finally touching her and talking to her, Angela looked up into his face with tears streaming down. What shocked her was that she saw the same from her husband and reached out a hand to touch his cheek.

"Please, kiss me."

Leaning over the tub and ignoring that he was getting wet, Adam pulled her gently into a kiss. She wrapped a hand around his neck and pulled him to her for a more intense kiss. He returned her passion with his own.

"I thought you didn't want to love me any more."

"No, sweetheart, I just didn't want to hurt you. I didn't know what to do."

"You wouldn't talk to me."

"I didn't know what to say that wouldn't upset you."

"Never, ever, do that again. Please? You think too much. Just hold me and talk to me no matter what. I can handle any thing if I know you will be there to love me and hold me."

"All right. Now would you like me to bathe you?" Adam had just the hint of a smile, and Angela had to smile at him and nod. Adam stripped off his shirt and pants, took her hands and pulled her to her feet in the tub, and stepped in with her. He soaped himself from thighs to neck and then wrapped his arms around his wife and spread all those soap bubbles on her using his soapy body. He stepped back, soaped up again before turning her around and doing the same to her back. Then using his soapy hands, he made sure no spot was left unwashed before he moved to wash her hair. Once that was done, he reached for the pitcher of water next to the tub. "Close your eyes." He poured the water over her rinsing the soap away before taking her hand to help her from the tub. Angela told him to turn around and she soaped the his back down to his thighs. He immersed himself to rinse the soap away and stepped out next to her before picking up one of the large towels and drying her off before he dried himself.

Once Adam was sure they were both as dry as the towel would get them, he pulled Angela into a hug. "Clean, cooled off, and ready for bed?" Angela nodded and he backed her up to the bed, pulled the covers down, and fell with her onto the sheets. They made love slowly and gently reaffirming their strong love for each other and fell asleep nestled like two spoons.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

In the morning, Angela awoke to find Adam leaning on his elbow with his hand under his chin looking down at her. He leaned down to kiss her as soon as she opened her eyes and slid his fingers into her hair to hold her close. His other hand caressed her as he kissed her and nuzzled her neck murmuring his love softly into her ear.

"We should get dressed. The stage leaves at eight."

"We're going to be traveling another day and a half. There's one more thing we need to do."

As a result, they barely had time for breakfast and had to hurry to board the stage. The driver grumbled a little but smiled when they weren't looking. It was clear to him that the Adam and Angela were back on good terms with each other. Once in the stage, the frosty atmosphere of the day before had disappeared, and they chatted companionably with the other three passengers. Angela removed her large bonnet once they were well clear of Beatty. There had been some talk of Apache raids while they were in Beatty, and the other passengers were nervous.

"Unless they are looking to revenge deaths of their own people, Apache raids are usually to take stock, children, and women. There is little of interest to them on a stagecoach. It wouldn't be worth the effort to them."

The minister's wife was very curious. "How is it you know so much about Apache raids?"

"My family lives in Arizona. My mother and father have a small ranch there. People who live here learn how to be ready. The towns are almost always safe. Very few Apache bands have enough warriors to attack even a small town. They prefer attacking small ranches."

"Was your family's ranch ever attacked, my dear?"

Adam felt Angela flinch with that question which she should have anticipated, but she held her composure and answered. "My parent's ranch was never attacked."

"My, my, one can only imagine the horrors of those poor women and children who were captured. They must have died almost immediately with the awful things that were done to them by those savages." The minister's wife was pale just thinking about it.

"Not at all. Most children are raised to be Apache warriors or the wives of warriors. Women are often taken as wives if they will tolerate it. If not, they are killed or traded most often. Sometimes they're rescued."

"I don't suppose a husband would want a wife back after she submitted to those savages. Oh my, we shouldn't even be talking about this kind of thing. It is so immoral."

The salesman who did not have a wife had to chime in then. "I know I could never be with a woman who had been with one of those savages. It just wouldn't be right."

"But what if she was forced? What if she had no choice in the matter?" Angela was upset by their statements.

"If she really fought back, she'd be dead so it wouldn't even be an issue."

Adam was getting angry then. "So she is supposed to be dead or otherwise she is a harlot. I don't think you are looking at the gravity of the situation. Men are generally bigger and stronger and could do what they wish with a woman no matter how much she fights back. It is moronic to blame the victim for the crime." Adam's tone and the deadly undertones in his speech brought a sudden quiet to the coach.

There was no more talk until after the next station stop, and then it was only about light and trivial subjects like the pretty horizon and the weather. The last way station of the day was without any beds, and they had to lie down on bedrolls.

Adam pulled his bedroll very close to Angela's so that he could hold her if she got cold. He would also know if she was restless and needed to go to the necessary or just walk a bit. He was not letting her go anywhere by herself until they were home again. He was well aware of how nervous she was getting as they neared her parents' home and that she might not sleep well under the circumstances. In the morning, they were both tired. Angela had been up several times, and Adam was with her each time. He hoped that the stagecoach ride might rock her to sleep on his shoulder. By the time they reached their final destination about noon, Angela was a bit more rested but more nervous than Adam had ever seen her.

As the stage pulled into town, Angela saw her parents waiting at the stage depot. Adam told her to breathe slowly so she wouldn't faint. He had never seen her like this, but then of course, they had not been together that long, and he didn't remember almost half of that time.

"Adam, you don't know the names my father called me the last time I saw him. And my mother was so ashamed of me that she couldn't look at me."

Wrapping his arm around Angela, Adam tried to reassure her, but now they were getting looks from the other passengers who wondered again at the background of this woman with whom they had been traveling. They would get their answers quickly as everyone in town seemed to know her story of captivity and what had happened after until her father had told her to make her own way in the world. Once Adam stepped from the stage, he turned to help Angela down, and they faced her parents. Angela's mother had a hint of a smile, but her father looked as stern and unforgiving as she could remember. Later she and Adam would discuss the fact that her return had probably started up all the old stories again. For the time being however, Adam and Angela just tried to make the best of it.

Angela was very formal in addressing her parents and introducing her husband. It was as much for them as for all those who stood and gawked trying to get more grist for the rumor mill. "Father, this is my husband, Adam Cartwright. Mother, my husband, Adam Cartwright." Each in turn shook his hand formally.

"Good to meet you, Mr. Cartwright. Now if you would, we have a wagon here to take you to our ranch."

Getting a premonition that the stay would be anything but pleasant, Adam retrieved their bags from the coach and Angela carried her purse and put on her bonnet. Adam helped her up into the second seat in the wagon, and her parents climbed in. There was some talk of changes that had taken place since Angela had been gone. Neither of her siblings had married, and the undertone seemed to indicate that they blamed Angela for that. The she was shocked by her father's next statement.

"We're thinking of pulling up stakes and heading to California."

"Father, why would you do that?"

"Well, let's just say we think we may need to make a fresh start where people don't know us or anything about our lives here. We're planning to sell the ranch. You wouldn't be interested in it, would you Mr. Cartwright?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but my family and I don't make investments this far south of our ranch."

"Oh, mother, she got herself a high and mighty one, didn't she. 'Investments' he says. Pfui."

"Now, father, you should just be relieved our daughter has found herself a husband, and be happy for her. There's no need to insult the man."

"Just can't abide what kind of man would be so desperate as to marry that trollop."

Adam stood and grabbed the shoulder of Angela's father demanding he stop the wagon. Adam stepped from the wagon then and pulled her father from his seat throwing him up against the wagon and held his shirt bunched in his hands.

"If you ever insult my wife like that again, I will beat you into the dirt. Now you will turn this wagon around and take us back to town, or I will leave you here and take the wagon myself."

It was the second time in two days that Angela had seen Adam's face transformed by fury, and both times it had been because of her. She knew now that this trip had been a mistake. Adam released her father who climbed back on the wagon clearly incensed but unwilling to challenge Adam. He had seen the look in the man's eyes and it scared him. Angela reached to hold Adam's hand when he sat beside her again, and she could feel the tension in his body just from that light contact. There was silence for the short trip back. Adam stepped down and helped Angela from the wagon. He retrieved their bags and waited to see if Angela wanted to say anything. She didn't but her father did.

"You don't know her as well as you think you do, I bet. Did she tell you she had a perfectly respectable job after she got rescued, but she give it up to take that saloon job? Did she tell you that? Did she tell you what she did at that saloon? You have a lot to learn about your wife, and good luck to you and good riddance of the both of you." He snapped the reins then and turned the wagon to head for his home again.

Adam and Angela walked to the hotel and got a room and Adam carried their bags up to the room. Adam was still angry. Angela could see the tension in his every move.

"This trip was a mistake. I should have known my father would never forgive me for bringing shame on his family. It just hurts so much." Angela sat forlornly on a chair next to the bed.

Wanting so much to know what her father had meant by his last statement but unwilling to ask and upset his wife further, Adam found it hard to let go of his anger and relax. Angela watched him and knew something was still bothering him and was afraid she knew what it was. She had told Adam so much of her past but some things were just so painful and degrading, she had not spelled those out for him. Now she knew she might have to.

"Do you want me to explain what my father meant by that last set of accusations?"

Not wanting to make her uncomfortable and yet needing to know, Adam nodded. He walked to Angela then and sat on the bed beside her and held her hand.

"No secrets between us. That's the deal, right?"

"Yes, but some things are so painful to talk about. I didn't want to get into those details of what happened to me. I will tell you about the shopkeeper though. I never mentioned him before so I can imagine what you're thinking, but it isn't at all like my father told it. He doesn't know what happened either. I did have a job in the mercantile shop right across the street here. He acted all saintly and generous, but when he got me in the storeroom or late when the customers were all gone, he tried to force me to do what he said I had done with the Apache. I got so tired of fighting him off and then I heard about the stories he was telling. He told men that I was giving him sexual favors to keep my job. So I didn't do anything and people thought I did. My father was almost insane with anger when he told me what he had heard. So I quit that job and headed north hoping that the news wouldn't have gotten there ahead of me but I was wrong. I couldn't get any kind of decent job and I was out of money. I took the saloon job to live. I think you know the rest."

"I'm so sorry you had to live through those things. I'm sorry too that I wanted to know, but it will be better now. I'm sorry for treating your father like that but I could not accept him talking to you and about you that way."

"Well, if it's any consolation to you, my mother is probably giving him quite a talking to right about now. She never says much to him in front of others but I've heard her telling him off when it was just family around."

"She's very spirited then. You must take after your mother." Adam smiled and tugged on Angela's hand so she would come to him. He pulled her on his lap, and began kissing her to let her know that all was well between them. She had told him the day before that as long as he held her and loved her, she could handle anything so he was putting it to the test. Things might have progressed further but there was a knock on the door.

"That's probably the lunch I asked the clerk to send up. Just a moment." Adam opened the door expecting a tray with dinner but instead found it was Angela's mother.

"I know that you may not be very happy with me, Mr. Cartwright, but could I please come in?"

Adam opened the door so that Angela could see her mother. Both were a bit nervous about this meeting. "Your father was so far out of line and I told him that." Behind her back, Adam grinned a little at that and Angela noticed. "I made him bring me back here. I will not sit at our ranch when I have a chance to visit with my daughter and her new husband."

"Mother, I'm so glad you came back."

"What's with this 'mother' nonsense. You always called me Mama before."

"Mama, this is Adam. He's the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Hello, Adam, and I am very pleased to meet you."

There was another knock on the door, and this time it was their lunch. Adam asked the man to please send up another serving set and more food. "Will you join us for lunch, please?"

"Well, this is rather extravagant, isn't it? Having the food delivered to your room."

"My wife has been through enough today. We planned to spend the rest of the day quietly and see about leaving tomorrow."

"Adam, what does your family do on your ranch. I mean do you raise cattle or horses?"

Smiling, Angela looked to Adam to see how he would answer. Apparently her parents didn't know about the Ponderosa, and she wondered just how much Adam would tell her.

"We raise both on the Ponderosa. In fact, after we leave here, we're going to Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Mexicali to finalize some contracts. My brothers and I will be bringing cattle here this spring as well as some horses if the contracts are accepted."

With that, Angela's mother began to suspect that there might be a lot of ranch to support that much selling. Their letter from the Virginia City sheriff had mentioned that Angela was with Adam on the Ponderosa ranch. Now she wondered if that should have meant something to her so she asked. "Just how big is your Ponderosa?"

"It's about a thousand square miles on the shores of Lake Tahoe. We raise cattle and horses. We also have an extensive timber and lumber operation as well as investments in some gold and silver mines."

Only silence greeted his statement. Angela was eating a sandwich and smiling at her mother's shocked face. Suddenly Angela's mother understood how they could order food to their room, travel such a distance by stage, and in general be so well dressed while doing it.

"And you married my daughter!"

"Yes, ma'am, I did. I love her very much, and I will love our child with all of my heart."

"You're going to have a baby too?"

"Yes, Mama, we wanted to tell you but things got pretty heated on the drive."

"Oh my, when you and Matt, God rest his soul, didn't have any children, I thought perhaps you couldn't. Now you are blessed not only with another husband but a baby too. Darling, I am so happy for you."

"Mama, there are a few other things to tell you. Matt isn't dead. I had my marriage to him annulled. Mama, he lied about everything. He's a wanted man." Her mother was so shocked by those statements that Angela and Adam filled in the rest of the story of how Matt had arranged for the Apache to take Angela and make it appear that he had died. The Apache had agreed to kill Angela, but they did not, and she was rescued ruining part of Matt's plan. He followed her to Virginia City to try to extort money from her, but had been sent fleeing with the Cartwrights and their resources lined up against him.

"Your father needs to know all of this. He's sitting outside on that wagon if he knows what's good for him. I'm going out there right now to tell him everything you have told me. If he doesn't come in here to beg your forgiveness, he may find he's going to be a very unhappy man for a very long time."

Leaving the room, Angela's mother walked downstairs and outside. Adam stood at the window and watched as she climbed up on the wagon seat and started talking. Angela's father seemed to grow shorter by the minute. Adam was smirking when he turned around. "You definitely took after your mother. Now don't eat all the dessert. There's supposed to be enough there for three."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After more than an hour, there was a knock on the door of the room where Adam and Angela were staying. When Adam answered, a very red-faced Mr. Davis stood there in the hallway with a very smug Mrs. Davis. Adam left the door open but stood blocking the man's entry. Whether he was allowed in their room or not depended on his next words.

"First of all, I have to beg you and your wife to forgive me. This last week all I been hearing from folks around here are snide comments about my daughter's past. I am a proud man, too proud it seems. I let all the talk get to me, and that made me say mean and hurtful things like a schoolboy trying to take revenge on his schoolmates. I should never have blamed my daughter for what happened to her. I should blame myself for everything I did because it was all wrong. I wish my wife had set me straight a long time ago, but I'm grateful to her that she finally did it."

Looking back over his shoulder, Adam saw Angela nod. She would give him another chance. Adam wasn't altogether sure that his apology was entirely sincere as he wondered how much the Cartwright wealth had made an impact on Angela's father's thinking. He would wait, observe, and evaluate. He stepped aside so that Angela's parents could enter.

"Angela, I am so sorry for all of the things I said. Your husband is right. I should never have blames you. I've been letting guilt and anger eat at me for a long time. Now I feel even worse knowing that Matt set you up for those horrible things that happened. I should never have kicked you out, but I was, oh, um, …"

"It's all right, Papa, Adam knows about Bork. He knows what he tried to do with me too, and why I quit."

"Angela, you never would have left and gone to Beatty if it wasn't for me. What you had to do was because I didn't do what I should have as a father. I can never make it up to you, but I can only hope that you can find it in your heart someday to forgive this old fool. I hope you know your mother had nothing to do with me sending you away. She was furious when she found out, and by the time we knew what you were doing, I refused to go get you and bring you home. That was another failure as a father. And you know with her hands she could never do it on her own."

For the first time, Adam noticed Mrs. Davis' hands which she had used to hold her shawl from the moment they had met. Now he could see that the knuckles were grossly swollen and the fingers were twisted at odd angles. He wondered if it was disease or injury.

"Disease, Adam. It's been getting a lot worse in the last couple of years. Recently it has begun affecting my back. Soon, I'm afraid, I won't be able to travel at all. If we are to leave this place and find another, it has to be soon."

"Where are you looking to go?"

"Clare wants California, but I think it will be just as hot as here. I would like to go further north."

"Claire?"

"My mother named me while my father was gone to war. She wanted a girl I think, so I'm Clare, without the i."

Adam looked at Angela. She had never mentioned her parents by name. Now this was something that Joe would enjoy hearing and would have gotten a great laugh from it. He wondered why she had never mentioned it. "Would you like to tell me your mother's name then?"

Angela was fighting a smile and he knew it. "Mavis."

Doing his best stoic act, Adam greeted her parents then. Clare, Mavis, it's very good to meet you. Perhaps we could try starting over with getting to know one another. You know our story now, so we can talk about the future. Perhaps we could have dinner together?"

At their acceptance, Adam asked about Angela's brother and sister. "I'm sure Gabe and Ruth would be happy to join us. We'll go home and dress, and be back in time for dinner."

After wishing Angela's parents godspeed, Adam turned to Angela and smiled. "You never mentioned Clare was your father's name and that your mother, bless her heart, is Mavis Davis. How did you ever hold that back? Joe is going to love it. I can imagine those cackles already."

"Oh, Adam, I knew he would laugh, and what if he meets my parents and does that. I would be so humiliated for them."

"Sweetheart, better that he knows in advance and gets those giggles out of his system. I would assume that at some point they might visit us and meet Joe. Would you like that to be the time he finds out?"

"Honestly, I was thinking they might not meet and then he would have laughed at my expense for no reason."

Looking at Angela with that look he had, Adam made her frown at him. She knew her argument didn't make sense because it was just how she felt. She had not thought it through. She had just reacted. He watched her as the thoughts churned through her head waiting to see what she would say. Finally, she shrugged and asked him if he thought he could go make a reservation for dinner. Laughing softly, he picked up his hat and left.

Later, both Adam and Angela knew there might be some commentary when they walked to dinner. However Adam's demeanor intimidated those who saw them and any would be persecutors kept their thoughts to themselves. Adam and Angela were seated at the table before the Davis family joined them. Adam met Angela's brother and sister then and found to their surprise that there were weddings in the planning stages.

"Will this make the relocation harder or easier for you, Mavis?"

Wondering at this family dynamic, Adam was subtly trying to get more information. It worked.

"Well it will be easier knowing that the last two will be getting married and having their own homes. I won't have to worry so much any more."

Smiling, Angela turned to her siblings to offer congratulations to both.

"We were going to tell you but Mama let it slip out of the bag already. Gabe's getting married next summer and wants to take over the ranch so Mama and Papa have a built in buyer if he can find a way to borrow enough money to buy the place. I'm marrying a man from California, and that's why they plan to move there although it is as hot as here, we're not going to be far from the ocean so there's relief there."

"How did you meet?"

"He came through here on a horse buying trip, and that's how we met. He came back a number of times and brought his father once. It was on that trip that he asked me to marry him. The wedding will be in California in a month. Is there a chance you could be there?"

Looking at Adam who looked lost in thought, Angela waited. After a minute, he looked up at her and smiled. "We could stay long enough. I still have to meet with our buyers in Phoenix and then in Mexicali. Each trip and stay for us could be a week. Then we would travel to California for the wedding. I've never spent much time in the southern part of that state but I'm sure we would find enough to do. If we do that though, we should head home by ship to San Francisco, and then go over the mountains to home. It would be faster and safer. Where in southern California will the wedding be?"

"His ranch is just outside Los Angeles. He supplies a lot of food for the small cities near there. His rancho has beef and extensive gardens and orchards, but he says they would make more money except for droughts and flooding rains. Still it is much safer than here."

All had to agree to that. The periodic raids on ranches by the Apache tribes was a fact of life in Arizona. It was a cost of doing business on land that the Apache considered theirs. Most knew it would be a very long time before peace reigned in all of Arizona.

Curious as to why Gabe wasn't going to move to California as well, Angela had a question. "Why do you want to ranch here rather than in California with the Papa and Ruth?"

"Marisol's family is here. She's part Chiracahua Apache and part Mexican. I don't think the people of California would be at all welcoming to her. Here she faces enough. Angela, you know how nasty people here can be. I wish I had been older when you were rescued. I would have set some of those people straight."

Watching Angela's family, Adam saw some powerful emotions play across the faces of her parents. Clare showed what could only be shame that he had not done what his teenage son at the time would have done. Mavis seemed proud that her son was so strong in character. Adam began to believe that all three children had learned far more from their mother than from their father. He wondered briefly how he would have been different if his mother had lived or if Ma had lived to help raise him.

Then Ruth and Gabe wanted to know all about the Ponderosa. Living so far from towns and cities of any size, the Davis family seemed to have somehow missed the development of one of the largest ranches in the country. They found it hard to believe that one family had built such an empire in only twenty-five years. Adam invited them all to visit if they ever had a chance. They made plans for Adam and Angela to visit her parents' ranch the next day. Adam politely declined their offer to stay on the ranch. Angela understood that he did not yet completely trust them and wanted above all to protect her. She did like this hotel so that wasn't really a problem anyway. They bid Angela's family good night, and they returned to their room. There was a lot to discuss.

"I didn't realize how long we would be in Phoenix and Mexicali!"

"Well it wouldn't have to be a week in each place. I was thinking of travel time too, but these are friends of my father's and he would want us to spend some time with them. Is that a problem?"

"No, but I guess now I understand why Hoss was thinking he was going to be doing a lot of work while you were away. We'll be gone nearly two months by the time this trip is done."

"There's not that much to do now, and I wouldn't have been in shape to go on the fall drive anyway."

"Are you still having those headaches? You didn't tell me."

"They're much less but at the end of a long day, I still have them, especially today. Riding and herding for twelve or fourteen hours a day would have been brutal, but I never would have heard the end of the teasing if I had begged off. Pa even said as much when he told me that this trip was a good idea for me even if he was worried more about you."

"Why is he so worried? Is it because your mother died in childbirth? I mean he had two other children and the mothers did just fine birthing them. You told me your mother was a small woman with a weak constitution. I'm as healthy as they come."

Smiling, Adam pulled Angela into his arms. "Pa thinks you do resemble my mother a bit. You're beautiful, dark haired, and petite. I don't see the resemblance but then I never saw anything except that portrait of my mother. By the way, I like your mother very much. I can see some of her in all of her children."

"And my father?"

This might be one of those no-win situations and Adam knew it. "Ahh, your father is very different than your mother."

"Coward! Why don't you come right out and say what you think?" The harsh words were belayed by the mischievous grin on Angela's face.

"Well, if you already know what I think, why should I say it?"

"If we aren't going to be talking, what else is there to do?"

"I'm sure we can find a way to fill the time before we're ready to sleep."

Gathering Angela closer in his embrace, Adam leaned down to kiss her. He trailed kisses down her neck and began unbuttoning her dress so he could kiss her shoulders. By the time they were done keeping busy with each other, it was time to sleep so both closed their eyes and listened to the other breathe until drifting away into a restful slumber.

In the morning, Angela awoke to Adam lightly running his hand over her lower abdomen.

"I can feel the baby growing now. You told me there was a bump there before but I couldn't tell. Now I can tell. It's beautiful."

"Well I hope you still think it's beautiful when it's ten times bigger and I can only waddle as I walk."

Smiling broadly, Adam leaned down and kissed the baby bump. "When we're in San Francisco, I want to buy you some dresses that will fit you right through your term. You should get some capes and cloaks too because your coat won't fit you by midwinter."

"Adam, you don't always have to buy stuff for me."

"It's what you need, and I would buy the world for you if I could." Leaning down, Adam kissed his wife to let her know how much he loved her, but had to pull away before they ended up staying in bed too long and missing breakfast. "Time to get up if you want breakfast before we go see your parents." Adam threw back the covers and got out of bed before Angela could change his mind.

At breakfast, Angela was amazed when a number of people came up to congratulate her on being married. She introduced them to Adam and smiled at everyone. When they had a quiet moment, she expressed her relief.

"Apparently being married to a handsome man was all it took to get people to let me put my past in the past where it belongs."

"Anything to be of service to my lady."

"Perhaps now my father can relax and forget it too."

Seeing a dark cloud pass over Adam's countenance, Angela knew he had not quite forgiven her father for his outburst and insults the previous day. Mr. Davis had apologized sincerely, but to Adam, his behavior was not acceptable for a father.

"You can't expect my father to be perfect. I would guess you father made a few mistakes along the way as well. I love my father and I forgave him. Can you please let it go too?"

"Anything for you, sweetheart." But Adam knew it would be difficult for him to forget it.

After breakfast, Adam rented a carriage after arranging to leave by stage the next day. With Angela's directions, he drove the team to the ranch. At the Davis ranch, a holiday had been declared. They had six hands, and with the family, and Marisol too, there were plenty of people to keep the festivities from getting boring.

After lunch, there was a lot of shooting from behind the stable. When Adam asked, he was told that the men and Gabe liked to bet on their shooting prowess. Angela encouraged Adam to go watch with her and soon everyone was there. The men were setting cans on a fence and then quick drawing to see who could shoot the most off the fence. Bets were taken on each shooter, and money was being exchanged back and forth. Adam and Angela watched for a time and made a few small wagers on her brother winning each time. Finally Gabe wanted Adam to join in.

"Well, men, we've got a wealthy rancher from up Nevada way. He makes contracts and oversees operations. Maybe he can shoot that thing he's got hanging low on his hip there. C'mon, Adam, let's see how you do." Gabe was thinking the low hanging rig was just an affectation. In his mind, Adam was soft and not ready to fight like the men who worked out here.

Wishing to decline, Adam couldn't with the whole family pushing to have him participate. Reluctantly he walked to the spot where all the shooters had stood and waited for the wagers to be made.

"Papa, bet on Adam!"

Clare looked at his daughter and wondered at her enthusiasm. He decided he better do that to help mend his relationship with his daughter. He was thinking that losing a few dollars would be preferable to seeing another sad look on his daughter's face.

"I'll take the bets on Adam to hit them all." Several men rushed over to bet against Adam because Mr. Davis was betting for him. The bets were larger than usual because of their belief that he couldn't do that well. After all, Gabe was the best shot there and he had hit only five each time he shot. Gabe covered any other bets in support of his sister. Adam waited until it quieted down and then adjusted his stance. When he thought he was ready, he drew and fired six shots rapidly. All six cans flew into the air. The feat was met with silence at first for he had been faster and more accurate than anyone these men had ever seen. Then Angela and Gabe cheered, and the other men added their congratulations on some fine shooting.

"Daughter, you didn't tell me it was sure thing. That man can really handle that pistol. I've never seen anyone like it. Are you sure you haven't married yourself a gunfighter?" Clare laughed then and Angela smiled at him.

"There isn't much that Adam can't do very well."

"You can back my play any day, Adam. That was impressive. I hand over my crown as the best shooter in this family."

As they walked back to the house, Mavis was sorry to see the day end with dinner. She wished her family could be like this forever but realistically, it might be the last time they were all together.

"It's too bad we don't have an photographer hereabouts. A family portrait would be so nice to have."

"Mama, do you have some paper and pencils?" Adam grimaced for he knew what she had in mind. He wasn't so sure the men in the family would appreciate that he could be an artist too. At least after the shooting demonstration, they wouldn't likely say too much. Once Angela had the paper and pencils, she turned to Adam and smiled as she tipped her head and said please. Adam took them from her and began sketching the different members of the family. One by one he placed them in a family portrait, and with Mavis' encouragement, he added himself. He filled in the features and clothing, and then as the last step, sketched in the background. It took him well over an hour to complete, and he had an audience the entire time as family members kept looking over his shoulder as he drew. Occasionally he would ask one of them to stand in front of him so he could get a more accurate rendering until he was finished. Mavis had avoided looking on as he drew as she waited for the final product. When Adam handed it to her, tears rolled down her face.

"Oh, thank you so much. I will treasure this forever. Could you paint one too?"

"I've never worked with oils. I learned my drawing for architecture and engineering sketches. If you notice, it is all lines and shading, but if you could find an artist, possibly he or she could paint a portrait using that sketch."

Over and over as the rest of the visit continued, Mavis would walk to the sketch that she laid on the table in her parlor and smiled. Ruth would live near them so she would see her often, but she had a memento now that would help her on days when she missed her son or daughter who lived far away.

After dinner as dusk descended, Adam and Angela had to leave to reach town before it was completely dark. The Davis family promised to be in town the next day to see them off. Angela slipped her arm through Adam's as he drove the team. She was happier than she had been in years, and Adam smiled as he looked at her. Now he was glad that they had made this trip.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The wind was strong but the rain was warm. Adam wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her closer for a kiss. It was their last night camping on the beach, and a little squall had blown in. Later, they would strip off their wet clothing and sleep in their dry cozy tent for one last night. For now, they just enjoyed the comfort of the ocean waves pounding into the beach and the light rain falling. He thought back over the last month and the journey that had gotten them here. He remembered how they had left Seligman.

That last morning in Seligman, as Adam and Angela were eating breakfast, her family walked into the restaurant. Adam invited them to have coffee. Then Angela's mother handed him a large package and told him it contained family items and some items for the baby that was on the way. Some people in the restaurant overhead that comment and soon there were more congratulations. As they saw the stage arrive across the street, they all left the restaurant and headed there. After asking the driver to secure the package for them and receiving hugs, Adam and Angela boarded the coach. Running late, the driver wanted to head out as soon as all passengers were on board. There was only one other passenger, and it was the traveling salesman they had met on the way down. Angela leaned out of the window as long as she could see any of her family and waved goodbye. Then she turned to Adam with a tear in her eye, and he pulled her into his embrace and let her cry a little.

In Phoenix, Adam and Angela had lots of time to enjoy the amenities of the city as the negotiations for the horse contract took less than a day. After enjoying the restaurants and theatre performance that was available, they had traveled to Mexicali where the negotiations took most of the week but were conducted in a friendly repartee with numerous rides with their generous hosts.

Ever since Adam had brought Angela to the ranch well west of Mexicali, she had been nervous. She had told Adam over and over again that she felt someone was watching them. He had replied that it was her beauty and all the men were jealous of him. She tried to laugh with him but her apprehension grew the longer they stayed. As they rode out of Mexicali heading to land their host owned on the ocean, Angela had relaxed. She had been very worried, but nothing had happened. Their host had provided a tent, sleeping mats, and other basic necessities for camping.

Relaxed and wanting to make this an even more memorable trip, Adam took Angela to the ocean that she had never seen. They camped near the shore, found crabs and other seafood to eat, and slept under the stars that first night after making love with only the night insect sounds around them. There was a small stream flowing to the ocean with fresh water for them to drink and to wash the salt water from their bodies which was necessary after the morning swim the second day. After convincing Angela to swim in the ocean with him, Adam had stripped and had helped his wife do the same. They splashed in the ocean until the sun rose higher and Adam told her they needed to get some protection from the sun before they got sunburned. So they waded into the small stream and bathed. As they emerged, Adam took Angela in his arms and kissed her. They were making love in the shade of the tree where they had slept when a familiar voice shattered their idyllic time.

"Well, well, well, now ain't that a sight to see. My white squaw sweating with her hairy man."

Whirling at the voice, Adam pulled a sheet over Angela. He had grown complacent on this journey as everything had gone so well. He was berating himself at that moment for not taking Angela's premonitions more seriously. Matt Reed stood there with two others. All three had guns trained on the couple.

"Tie him up and don't be gentle about it. I wanted so badly to pay you back for all that you did, but Nevada was just too big a risk. But now you're on my turf. I couldn't believe my luck when I saw you get off that stage in Mexicali. We've been following you since then waiting for an opportunity. This is perfect."

Matt's two men moved toward Adam, but he knew what would likely happen next if he allowed himself to be restrained. As the men neared him, he struck out at one and then engaged the other. Both men were smaller than Adam which helped him. He pulled one man's pistol after knocking him nearly senseless, turned, and fired at Matt. Hearing a yelp of pain, Adam was momentarily distracted until the second man jumped him from behind propelling them to the ground with Adam taking the weight of the man when they landed. Adam was dazed and unable to resist. He felt his arms pulled behind his back and tied tightly. Then he groaned in pain when a boot connected with his ribs in a vicious kick.

"You damn cowboy! You shot me. You're gonna pay for that, you really are going to pay for that." Looking at Angela, Matt ordered her to help him with the wound Adam had inflicted. Angela carefully pulled her dress to her under the sheet and started to dress.

"Get over here now! You don't need that damned dress on. I've seen you naked before."

"I'm not your wife and never really was. I'll wear this dress. What are you going to do anyway, shoot me?"

After pulling the dress over her head, Angela walked to Adam to see that he was breathing all right but had a dazed look. She knew then that their survival depended on her next actions. She took the sheet and began tearing some strips from it. She asked the other man to get some water from the stream. Then she pulled Matt's shirt open and looked at the wound in his right shoulder. Angela wadded up a long piece of torn sheet and told Matt to hold it on the entrance wound. She moved to his back then and ripped the shirt to expose the exit wound.

As the second man walked back into camp with a coffee pot filled with water, Angela drew Matt's pistol from its holster and pointed it at him. He dropped the water and drew. Angela fired but Matt shoved her back with his body, and her shot went wide. Matt grabbed for the pistol, and they wrestled for control of it. Much smaller than Matt, Angela lost the struggle. Matt stood then and held the pistol in his left hand.

"I would've taken you with me. You were good for a roll now and then, and I could have sold you for a good price. Now, I think you're just not worth the trouble. I'll shoot you right between the eyes, and when your white knight wakes up here, he'll see your body and know it was his fault. He'll die here slowly watching you rot away in the sun right before his eyes."

Matt raised his pistol to fire, and Angela looked directly at him unwilling to show any fear to this monster who had once claimed to love her. He never fired though. A hole appeared in his forehead just a moment before the sound of a rifle reached them. The other man turned to look and a red blossom appeared on his chest before he tumbled backwards.

Frozen in place for just a moment, Angela stood and gazed at the scene before her. Events had been happening in such rapid succession, her mind was having trouble processing everything. Collecting her wits, she rushed to Adam's side and untied his hands as four horsemen galloped up to their camp. Looking up at the older gentleman in the group, Angela expressed her thanks.

"Senor Mateo, thank you, thank you. You are an angel sent from God. How did you know we needed your help so desperately?"

"I have had a man watching you." At Angela's look, he had to explain more. "From a distance and only to see that my guests did not need anything. When he saw three men ride this way this morning, he signaled for help. It was he with the rifle who did the shooting. He waited up on that ridge to see what these men would do and did his best to make sure you stayed alive until we could get here to help you."

The men with Senor Mateo had dismounted and were dragging the two bodies away. The third man was tied and walked away. Angela stayed by Adam's side until he was able to sit up. She handed him his shirt and pants so he could dress. There were nasty bruises already developing on his torso and face, but there were no serious injuries although she thought his ribs might be cracked or at least severely bruised on one side. Once Adam stood with one hand holding those sore ribs, he thanked Senor Mateo as well.

"Senor Cartwright, who were these men?"

So again, Adam and Angela had to tell her story of Matt Reed and his duplicity, her capture by the Apache, her rescue and subsequent abuse for having been taken, her move to Beatty and meeting Adam, her marriage to Adam once her marriage to Matt was annulled, and her reconciliation with her family leaving out some of the nastier parts of the story of course.

"You have lived many lifetimes worth of grief already. You are welcome to stay in my home again until you are ready to travel or you may continue your stay here on the ocean knowing that my men will watch over you."

Looking at Angela, Adam asked if she wanted to stay. At her nod, he answered their host. "This is a small piece of paradise. Now that the invading devil has been vanquished, we would like to stay here for a few more days, if you please. We will return to your home in three days to bring back your belongings you have so kindly loaned us except for one sheet that appears to have been destroyed."

Smiling, Senor Mateo saluted them and wheeled his horse to leave. Adam and Angela smiled and thanked the men with him who then followed him out of the camp. Adam picked up the bloody bandages and tossed them in the fire. Then he gathered Angela in his arms and she wept. It was a cleansing cry and made her feel better. By now, Adam knew her well enough to know when the tears were from sadness or were from a need to release tension or fear. This was one of those releases.

"I'm so sorry. I should have listened to your when you were sure something was wrong. I let my guard down and this happened."

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this. Matt was an evil man. I can't shed a single tear for him. He did this and it is all on his head. Now he's meeting his Maker and getting his just reward, may he burn for all eternity for the things he has done."

"I don't know about you, but I could use a rest." Angela agreed and they pulled the bedroll deeply into the shade of the tree and laid down. Angela stayed on the side opposite Adam's damaged ribs and snuggled into him. He stroked her hair and looked up into the leaves of the tree. Almost an hour later, Angela spoke up.

"I can't sleep either, but this is very nice. I am more relaxed than I have been in over a week."

"No premonitions, then?"

"None, other than what I think you'll want to do when your ribs feel better."

"Oh perhaps even before that. There are ways, sweetheart, there are ways."

After a few more days enjoying the beach, Adam and Angela returned to the hacienda. That light rain on their last night had made everything smell fresh and sweet. Senor Mateo had other guests, Mr. and Mrs. Newhall, who were returning to Los Angeles. They offered to take Adam and Angela with them in their carriage. For the next few days, Adam and Angela traveled in comfort and style making new friends who showed them some of the prettier vistas along the way. They stayed with friends of the Newhalls on the way and made more friends. By the time they reached the ranch of Ruth's fiancée, they were in a great mood and ready to celebrate a wedding.

Waiting for them on the ranch were Angela's parents and her brother. Marisol had not made the trip. There were rooms for each of them, and the wedding preparations were being made. Adam and Angela had to explain how Adam came to be injured but were reassured that they no longer had anything to fear from Matt Reed. Adam and Angela were thoroughly engaged in the family celebration of the wedding. Angela had stood with her sister, and Adam had been requested to sing for the couple.

Mavis had another long talk with Angela. She apologized for not attending her wedding to Adam. She thought at the time that Adam might be a man who was taking advantage of her and had not wanted to see that happen. Clare would never have traveled to Nevada then anyway with the way he was feeling at the time.

"I wish there was something we could do to make up for missing one of the most important days of your life."

"Mama, could you come visit after the baby is born. That will be the most blessed thing you could do."

"We will do that! I will talk to your father and let him know that as soon as the weather cooperates in spring, we will travel to your Ponderosa and see that new baby."

Angela kissed her mother's cheek and the two hugged. Adam was pleased that the reconciliation had proceeded so well. He and Angela headed to San Francisco by ship once the wedding celebration was complete.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

After a week of shopping, restaurants, and theatres in San Francisco, Adam and Angela were relaxed and recovered from all the festivities and travel. Adam had introduced Angela to his friends in the city, and they were enchanted with her. There were dinners with friends, and several trips to a chocolate shop once Angela had tasted those sweet treats for the first time. Next, they had taken the steamer upriver to Sacramento. From there, they had climbed aboard a stage heading for home. Angela was getting anxious to be home. She was getting more and more uncomfortable with travel and looked forward to being at home for the winter with time to relax and prepare for the birth of their child. Adam had even optimistically telegraphed his family that they would be home in less than a week.

Now Adam looked around at their predicament. They were reduced to living in a shelter that was essentially now a snow cave, had very little food supplies, and not much ammunition. He had no clear idea if there was little likelihood of anyone finding them here. It had all been such a tremendous surprise. The day had been sunny and reasonably warm for the season as they had started out that morning. Clouds built up as they neared the highest point of their trip. They thought they would be on the downslope soon and headed to a way station for the night. Instead, a deer had bounded into the path of the stage chased by a cougar. The horses had shied, the coach had slid, and soon they were all lying on their sides tangled together in the coach that was being dragged by the team of horses until the horses broke free of their harness and thundered away. Adam checked first to be sure Angela was not seriously injured. It appeared none of them was hurt other than bumps and bruises. In that they were lucky, but when Adam climbed from the coach and helped everyone else to climb out, they had found that the driver was dead of a broken neck, the horses were gone, and a storm seemed to be approaching rapidly. The other passengers had decided to walk despite Adam's efforts to get them to stay together.

"There's a storm blowing in. We should do what we can to construct a shelter until it passes." Adam tried to convince the passengers that this was the way to survive.

"We have almost no food. How could we survive up here. We can't build a shelter that could withstand any kind of storm." The loud mouthed banker had then led his wife and the other two passengers as they trekked down the road to the way station that was at least thirty miles away.

Once it was clear that none of the other passengers would change their minds, Adam had begun dismantling the coach to use some of it to build a shelter. He pulled the canvas from the back and the doors off the stage. Then using pine branches and small saplings he could cut with the hatchet he found in the boot of the stage, he constructed a small shelter.

"Adam, what can I do to help?"

"Find as much firewood as you can and stack it here. We're going to need a fire. That storm looks like an early snowstorm. The snow will likely be heavy and wet. That's why I have to build the shelter away from these trees a bit or the snow may fall from the trees and bury us. We may find ourselves in five or six feet of snow as it is. If we hadn't been waylaid, we would have been on the downslope before the storm hit. Now we're near the top."

"It's going to be bad, isn't it?"

Unable to look in his wife's eyes with the answer, Adam could only nod. He pulled all the luggage that was left on the stage and laid a bunch of clothing in the bottom of their shelter as well as two bedrolls he found with the luggage. Within two hours of the accident, the storm hit. The small shelter creaked and swayed a bit but held. Snow began to pile up outside of it and Adam knew that the cold would seep in but that the wind would be held out. He pulled a cloak they had purchased in San Francisco from one of their bags and wrapped that around Angela covering the cloak she was already wearing. He pulled out the new gloves they had purchased as well as the ermine muff he had gotten that he had intended to give his wife as a Christmas gift. Luckily he had also found the shotgun from the driver's seat and a few shells. In addition, he had his pistol and gunbelt. When the storm passed, he would be able to try hunting as well as signal if he thought anyone would hear.

"Do you think the other passengers made it?"

"They had thirty miles to walk. If they walked rapidly, they only would have walked about twelve miles or so by the time the storm hit here. Unless they stopped when they saw the storm getting closer, I don't think they stood a chance."

Lying on one bedroll, Adam pulled Angela close to him as he arranged the second bedroll to cover them. Angela in her cloaks, muff, gloves, and hood, and Adam in his coat and gloves would be able to stay warm for a while. He had a small amount of firewood ready to go when they needed it. For now, they lay in their cocoon of a shelter and talked quietly.

"One of us has to be awake at all times. Otherwise, we could succumb to the cold in our sleep. You're the one who needs sleep more, so you should try to sleep now. I'll stay awake."

"Why do I need to sleep more than you?" Even as she asked the question, Angela knew the answer. She was almost five months pregnant and tired easily. She nodded, closed her eyes, and snuggled as close to Adam as she could get.

Although Angela had begun to tire easily, she had also become ravenous which was the reason they had food. Adam carried a satchel with bread, cheese, some ham, and apples because she had often wanted something to eat between way stations. That food might mean their best chance at survival now.

On the Ponderosa, Ben was worried. Hoss had returned from herding some cattle from a high pasture down to the lower pastures and said a big storm was brewing over the mountains. If Adam's telegram was correct, they were probably up there in that storm unless they had seen it coming and stayed in Placerville. At best, they might be stranded at a way station. Ben didn't like to think about what else might have happened. He asked Hoss if he would go into town to see if he could get any information and to stay and wait for a reply if he was able to send a telegram.

"Pa, that could be late. I may have to stay in town tonight."

"Do that if you have to. I just want to know where Adam is."

Ben's unease transferred to Hoss who rode as fast to Virginia City as he could. The telegraph lines through to Placerville along the stage route were down but Hoss was able to send a telegram through Reno to Placerville. It was more expensive, but they needed to know. The fact that the lines were down was a bad sign of how serious the storm was. The message Hoss received the next morning was worse. The stage line had sent out a rescue party when they received word that the stage had not reached Virginia City. They had found four passengers frozen to death and no sign of the stage, the driver, or the other two passengers. Hoss waited anxiously for the identification of the dead passengers before riding home. Ben was sick with worry by the time Hoss got home to tell him something terrible had happened, but that Adam and Angela were not listed among the dead. They were however missing after a terrible storm.

Walking down the stairs after sleeping in, Joe listened as Hoss was telling their father the news. Both brothers wanted to set out immediately to search for their oldest brother and his wife.

"If the snow is that bad, how could we get through?"

Both Joe and Hoss were silenced by that until Joe had a thought.

"Pa, Mr. Dresang has those Morgans for sale. You said we didn't need any pretty draft horses like those, but he's been saying for years that they're better in the snow than any other horses he has. We could buy them and use the sleigh to head up there."

Thinking for just a moment, Ben smiled at Joe and agreed. Hoss went outside to saddle a couple of horses, Ben went to tell Hop Sing to pack up food and anything else they might need in a rescue attempt, and Joe went upstairs to pack clothing and blankets for them. Once Joe and Hoss returned with the Morgans, they loaded the sleigh on a wagon and headed toward the road. It took only a few more hours before they reached the snow line. They lifted the sleigh from the wagon and hitched the Morgans to it. Then after packing all the supplies in the back, the three men climbed aboard for the journey uphill through the snow. They reached the way station by dusk.

"The team came thundering in here near two days ago. They still had their harness and I could see the breaks in the traces. We tried to get a sleigh up the road to see about a rescue but the snow was more'n our horses could handle and it was blowing right hard too."

"So you never saw the stage or any of the people?"

"No sir, nary a sign afore we had to head back here. Your horses are taller and stronger than any I got though, and the snow was already melting down some today. Happens a lot with these early storms. You're welcome to rest and feed your horses here, and bed down with us tonight. Tomorrow, conditions should be even better."

The next morning, Adam looked out of the hole at the top of their shelter. The sun was shining and the snow was melting and settling but it still looked to be several feet deep. That was too much for them to try to get through. They would have to wait another day before venturing out. He sat back down and fed a small amount of wood to their small fire, and the smoke rose out of the hole. Angela was still sleeping. Adam had melted some snow and drank it, and now had a cup of melted snow warming by the small fire. He dug in his valise and brought out the last of their food. It was supposed to be a gift for Hoss but now it would be their food for the day. He wished then that he had purchased a larger box.

Still sleeping, Angela lay at Adam's side. He added a little more tinder to the fire, pulled his thick gloves off, and reached down to see if her feet were warm. She had gotten a bit of frostbit they thought and he had found pairs of his socks from his valise and pulled them on her feet after removing her shoes. She didn't complain but he knew her toes probably hurt and that she was frightened of what would happen next. He kept his hands wrapped around her feet warming them for the next hour or so until she awakened. She sat up cross-legged then and pulled the blanket tightly around her. Adam handed her the cup of warm water and she drank it down. He opened the last box of food they had, and they shared the tasty but meager contents. They sat quietly for a time until Adam lay down to sleep. They had taken turns sleeping, and although Angela slept more, Adam got enough rest too.

Out on the road, the sleigh was making slow but steady progress moving up the grade. Joe stood occasionally in the back seat to see if he could see anything ahead. Finally he saw a pile in the road ahead and thought he could see a wheel protruding. He yelled and pointed but neither Hoss nor Ben could see the wheel. They did find their hearts pumping a little harder as they closed on that mound until all three could see the wheel and its markings. They had found the stage, but what else would they find. Hoss was the first to be able to get to the stage. Ben and Joe followed in the path he plowed through the snow. With Hoss' help, Joe climbed up on the side of the overturned coach. He looked back and shook his head.

"Nobody inside. In fact there's nothing inside, and the door is missing too."

From the back of the stage, Hoss yelled out. Someone ripped the canvas off here and any packages or tools are missing."

Ben had a surge of hope. "Adam! Adam would know to use these things, but where could he be?"

"Pa, you smell that?"

"What smell?"

Hoss was walking further up the road toward a clearing. "I smell smoke." And then suddenly Hoss was running and jumping through the snow. "Adam, Adam, is that you?"

Inside the shelter, Angela heard Hoss and nearly screamed in relief. "Adam, Adam, wake up. Your family is here." Unable to stand on her painful feet, Angela waited for Adam to wake, smile, douse the fire, and stand pushing the top of the shelter open.

"Well, big brother, it's about time you got here."

"Older brother, you jest never do anything the easy way, now do ya?"

Seeing his father and youngest brother coming up behind Hoss, Adam could only grin and greet them. But then he got more serious. "Angela may have frostbite on her feet. Could you carry her out of here?"

"You jest hand her over, older brother, and I'll take good care of her."

Adam knelt down and struggled to lift his wife. Not only was she heavier than she had ever been, but he was weak with hunger, and she was wrapped in many pounds of garments to stay warm. He finally stood with her in his arms and Hoss moved forward to reach for her. Angela wrapped her arms around Hoss' neck and that made it a bit easier. As he walked to the sleigh with Angela in his arms, his superior sense of smell kicked in.

"Little Sis, you smell like chocolate."

"I'm sorry, Hoss. Adam bought them for you, but we were so hungry this morning, we ate them. I'm afraid I ate most of them. I couldn't stop myself."

Frowning in mock disapproval, Hoss got the hoped for grin from his sister-in-law. Once he got her to the sleigh, he put her in the back seat, tucked another thick blanket around her, and pulled a buffalo robe up over that.

"Now you just sit right there and we'll get Adam and everything so we can head back to the way station. Don't fret none. Everything will be fine now that we found you two."

Adam collected all of their personal belongings and packed them back into their valises. After handing those to his father and Joe, he pushed out of their shelter and started to walk to the sleigh but stumbled and nearly fell. Hoss' strong arms caught him before he tumbled into the snow.

"No sense being a hero now, Adam. Let me help."

With his arm around Hoss' shoulders, Adam allowed himself be helped to the sleigh and settled in beside his wife. With a small grin, he acknowledged his family's timely rescue and then promptly fell into a deep sleep finally being able to relax and let someone else assume responsibility.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

At the way station, once Adam and Angela were warmed up and fed, Hoss wanted to see their feet to evaluate for frostbite. Even though Adam had not complained, Hoss had seen how gingerly he walked into the way station. Once Adam's boots were removed and Angela's layers of socks were pulled off, Hoss checked both feet. They had frostbite but the skin was pink, the blisters were clear looking, and their toes were only mildly swollen.

"Well, neither of ya ought to be walking on these for a bit. Angela has a touch more of them blisters, but not too much. Both of you better be ready cause they're gonna itch like crazy, and probably hurt some too, but it don't look too bad."

"So I won't lose any toes?" Angela had been very worried because of the pain she had been feeling.

"Nah, little Sis, they're nice and pink. They're hurting but they'll be fine eventually. You just gotta be careful. No shoes for a long time. You and Adam are going to be wearing slippers and staying inside for at least a few weeks."

"I'm not wearing slippers!"

"Older brother, you ain't gonna be able to fit those boots of yours on your feet for quite a while. Your toes are already swelling up, and it's gonna be some time before they're back to normal."

"You mean we gotta keep doing his chores. Adam, you're really gonna owe us for this." All Joe got was a scowl for his comment.

The station manager had a different question. "What about Wally? He's been driving for nigh onto ten years, and I count him as a friend."

Grimacing because of having to deliver such bad news, Adam spoke up. "I'm sorry. He didn't make it. He was killed in the accident. It was quick though. His neck was broken when he was thrown. We couldn't do anything about the body except wrap a tarp around him. I'm sorry we couldn't do more."

Nodding sadly, the station manager moved back to the stove where he was preparing some stew for everyone. One freak encounter with a deer and a cougar had led to a lot of tragedy and suffering. Angela was very quiet for a while.

"You can't be ready for everything it seems. We thought that we could prepare for events on this trip, and over and over again, we had to adjust to circumstances we couldn't control. I'm looking forward to being home for the winter. Hopefully all will be calm for a while."

But Adam immediately thought about the next months as they awaited the birth of their child. He knew he would worry, and being confined to the Ponderosa most of that time would likely increase his anxiety. Ben watched the transformation of Adam as he went from relief that Angela's frostbite was fairly minor to worry, and Ben thought he knew exactly what that worry frown was about. He did think that Angela resembled Elizabeth quite a bit but knew that his comments about that probably reminded Adam even more of what had happened to her. He resolved to spend more time talking about how children like Hoss and Joe had been born with no complications.

Arriving where the wagon had been left, the Morgans were hitched to the wagon, and Adam and Angela transferred to the wagon. The sleigh had to be left behind and would need to be retrieved later.

"Pa, where did you get these beautiful draft horses? I don't think I've ever seen any as impressive as these." Adam was smiling as he said it.

"Adam, you know very well where I got them. Originally it was your idea to buy them, and I said they weren't sturdy enough for the timber operations. Joe however suggested they would be perfect for rescuing my oldest son and his wife."

A little chagrined that so much money had to be spent, Adam nodded. "Thank you, Joe. That was a great idea. I don't think we could have made it without them."

Pleased with the praise from Adam, Joe sat up taller in the seat and snapped the reins on the matched pair. "Pa, I think we ought to make sure they're in the July fourth celebrations next year. These horses are over fifteen hands tall and could pull a carriage in the parade. If I bred them with some of our other draft horses and riding horses, then by next fall I could have some foals. You know how Morgans keep their characteristics no matter what they're bred with. I'm sure there's a way to make some money with them, and I've got months to come up with a plan."

Joe's evident excitement at the acquisition of the two fine animals made Hoss groan and Ben frown, and that caused some laughter from all of them. It was much warmer once they had gotten down the eastern slope. Adam and Angela rode comfortably on piles of blankets in the back of the wagon. Once they were in the yard of the Ponderosa, Hoss carried Angela into the house and set her on the settee. Adam walked in his stocking feet which Hop Sing was going to complain about until he saw how gingerly Adam was walking.

"What you do to feet? Hop Sing help."

"Angela's are worse than mine. Look her over first." Knowing there was no way to stop Hop Sing when he knew his healing talents were needed, Adam sat next to Angela on the settee and waited for his turn. Hop Sing removed their layers of socks and tut tutted over their toes especially. Then he went into the kitchen to get items he needed. Once he had cleaned the blistered areas and applied salve, both Angela and Adam felt some relief from the pain and itching.

"Thank you, Hop Sing. You are a treasure indeed."

Adam added his thanks, and both got a smile from Hop Sing who headed to the kitchen then to brew up some tea and make dinner for them all. Adam and Angela sat with their feet propped up on the table in front of the fireplace.

"Pa, aren't you going to tell them to get their feet off the table?" Joe had an affronted look that everyone knew was an act.

"Joseph, I have learned not to get in Hop Sing's way when there is healing and cooking to be done." Laughing softly, Ben sat in the red chair and relaxed. "Now, the two of you can start telling us the stories that you hinted at in your letters. Who would like to begin?"

There were stories to tell and as expected Joe got a good laugh when he heard what Angela's parents' names were. All were glad Matt Reed was gone, but were dismayed to know how close he had come to succeeding in his revenge.

"Joseph, when you get some offspring from those Morgans, I want to gift two of them to Senor Mateo. He has been a good friend for many years, and we will send him a proper gift for all that he did for Adam and Angela." Ben knew that a thank you accompanied by a promise of those two foals would make Senor Mateo very happy.

As the weeks passed, Christmas preparations were made. Adam asked Candy to send a few letters for him as he hoped to replace some gifts. As Christmas approached, and the weather turned bad, Adam was afraid that he would not get them in time but two days before Christmas, Candy brought him some packages with a big grin. He had been in town almost every day picking up items for the annual celebration on the Ponderosa and knew how happy Adam would be to get these items.

On Christmas morning, Adam was able to present Hoss with a intricately carved wooden box filled with fine chocolates from San Francisco. Hoss liked the box, but loved the treats. There were a lot of the usual gifts as well as a model ship that was presented to Ben by his sons. Adam had gotten it in San Francisco assuming his brothers would like the idea and they had. He had had it shipped so it was not one of the items they had lost in the stagecoach accident.

Finally, Adam presented a long narrow box to Angela. She opened it wondering what it could be and was speechless. It was a gold necklace with a pendant of an emerald surrounded by diamonds. Adam had asked her to wear her green velvet dress with the low neck, and now she knew why.

"Adam, it's too much. When could I even wear this?"

"Today, when our guests are here. For any formal dance or ball we attend. When we go to the theatre. Here, let me help you put it on."

"Well I suppose it will distract people from how fat I'm getting."

"No, you're more beautiful every day." Ben and Adam's brothers agreed with his statement. Angela did look pretty with her red cheeks and that dark hair. The new dresses that Adam had her buy in San Francisco allowed her to look elegant even as her tummy grew. Adam had been sketching pictures of her, and she chided him that he made her look like a model for classical painters, and he said she was.

Once the Christmas season was over, Angela knew that Adam would start to worry more about her. He was already hovering about whenever she wanted to do something. She knew she would get upset with him if it continued so she came up with a plan.

"Adam, when are you going to design our house?"

"Are you anxious to leave here?"

"Not at all. I didn't think we would be moving that far away anyway. No, but when the baby is here, it's going to be getting a bit crowded don't you think. I'm not sure that the other men in this house are going to like being awakened at night with a crying baby. I was older when my brother and then my sister were born. I remember a lot of crying at night."

So Adam began working on house plans. No matter what he drew however, Angela found something that she would like improved. Although her ideas were sound, Adam began to suspect her ulterior motive.

"I know what you're doing." Adam had drawn another set of plans for the kitchen, and again Angela had some ideas of how to make it better.

"That I want to have a wonderful house to make a home?"

"No, that you've been keeping me as busy as you can drawing plan after plan so that I don't worry about you."

"No, that's not exactly it."

"Well, then, what 'exactly' is it?"

"You hover. You protect. It's wonderful that you love me so much, but it is suffocating too. You know how you are when you're sick or recuperating and can't do what you want to do?"

Adam nodded and now had a very good idea of where this was going.

"Well I feel that way too, and I was afraid that I would have months of going crazy until the baby was born. This way, you stayed busy. I stayed busy. No one went crazy."

"There're are weeks left yet."

"Um, I don't think so. Neither does Hop Sing or Doctor Martin. That baby may be coming fairly soon."

"Already?"

"When Doctor Martin was here today and examined me, he said it's probably just a week or two away. He said there shouldn't be a problem with a baby who arrives only one or two weeks early. He said the baby might be a bit smaller, and we'll have to be very careful keeping the baby warm, and I will have to feed the baby more often at first, but otherwise he said there should be no problems."

"You are nervous about it, though, aren't you?"

"Yes, and if you want to hover and be overprotective, now would be the time. I could use some support right about now."

"Do you think it would be a good idea for Mrs. Shaughnessy to move in here? With the weather the way it is, there's a risk that we wouldn't be able to get the doctor here or anyone else when it's your time."

"If you think she would, that would be wonderful. It would be good to have a woman to talk to now too."

The next morning, Adam went to visit with Mrs. Shaughnessy to ask her if she would move into the guest bedroom on the Ponderosa. Her children were grown and gone, and her husband had died many years earlier. She thought only briefly before agreeing. It would seem like a vacation, and she would have someone to talk with, and she wouldn't have to do any cooking because Hop Sing would never allow her in the kitchen. Then she would be there for the birth and not have to rush there the night the baby decided to arrive because for some reason, most babies seemed to choose nighttime to change their parents' world.

For two weeks, the ladies sewed clothing and small blankets as well as bibs. Angela showed off her safety pins and Mrs. Shaughnessy was amazed for she had no idea such a thing had even been invented. They made sure the receiving blankets, and the cradle Adam had made were ready. They talked about delivery and what to expect. Angela started to relax a bit just as Adam was getting hyper tense. He had trouble falling asleep each night wondering if that would be the night. So when the night finally arrived, he was sound asleep when Angela called his name. She had to call several times before he awoke and then he was still groggy.

"Adam, it's time."

"No, sweetheart, we can sleep a bit more. At this time of year, we don't have to get up until the sun is up."

"No, Adam, it's time. I'm feeling the baby contractions that Mrs. Shaughnessy told me about and my water broke."

It still took a bit, and then suddenly Adam jumped from the bed and was going to rush into the hall to get Mrs. Shaughnessy and tell everyone the baby was on its way.

"Adam, stop. Put on some pants before you scare Mrs. Shaughnessy half to death running in to her room naked. You have time to put on a shirt too."

Stopping at the door, Adam turned around sheepishly and grabbed his clothing. Then he asked if Angela needed anything right away. Once she said no, he went to get Mrs. Shaughnessy. They helped Angela from the bed, changed the bedding, and helped her into a clean gown before helping her back to bed. Shaughnessy pointed to the side of the bed and told Adam to sit there and comfort his wife so she could go to get the other items they would need and to wake Hop Sing.

About the time the sun did rise, Angela's screams awakened the rest of the Cartwright clan who rushed into the hallway to see what was the matter. Listening to what was coming from the expectant couple's bedroom, Ben assured Hoss and Joe that the baby was on its way. They dressed and went downstairs to find Hop Sing had breakfast ready to serve. He told them that he had been up for a couple of hours already. Hop Sing made another trip upstairs to see if he was needed. When he didn't come back, the three men wondered if anything was wrong until they heard a baby's wail. Soon after, Hop Sing came down with bedding for the laundry. It was one time he would not complain about all the laundry he had to do in the winter cold.

"Baby fine. Number one son bring you to see baby soon."

After about fifteen minutes, Adam appeared at the top of the stairs, and the three men started moving his way before he could say anything. He just smiled and returned to the bedroom. When Ben and Adam's brothers entered the room, Adam was sitting beside Angela who was holding their baby swaddled in warm soft cotton blankets.

"Pa, meet your granddaughter, Rachel Lea Cartwright."


End file.
